The present invention relates generally to horizontally supported planar surfaces and, in particular, to such surfaces installed in vehicles and rotatable about a vertical axis.
Size, weight, and cost reductions have all contributed to an increased use of portable computers in vehicles. It is well known that salesmen, truck drivers, and others who spend large portions of their workdays in vehicles carry with them portable, laptop computers for access to large amounts of information helpful in performing their jobs. The performance efficiencies of such individuals are greatly improved.
Unhappily, the seats of most vehicles are not configured to serve as tables and laptop computers placed thereon tend to slide around on their sloping surfaces. To avoid this problem, the laptop computer is sometimes placed on the lap of a user, but operating the computer in the confines of a vehicle can prove tricky and uncomfortable. Some have proposed special stands for supporting a computer in a vehicle adjacent a user. Drawbacks in these stands (limited adjustability, minimal storage space, and high cost) are believed to have restricted their commercial success.
In light of the problems associated with the known methods and apparatus for supporting a laptop computer in a vehicle, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a workstation that adjustably supports a laptop computer and selected work materials like a clipboard or notebook above the seat of a vehicle for ready and comfortable access by a user.
It is another object of the invention to provide a workstation of the type described that has ample, internal storage space for files, writing implements, books, supplies and a laptop computer when not in use.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a laptop workstation that may be releasably secured within a vehicle by means of a conventional seat belt. Thus, the workstation, is portable and may be transferred by a user from one vehicle to another.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a laptop workstation that can be easily leveled when positioned upon a sloping surface like the top of an automobile seat to provide a horizontal work surface for a user. The workstation can, therefore, be adjusted to compensate for sloping terrain upon which a vehicle may rest.
It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof in a laptop workstation for the purposes described which is lightweight in construction, inexpensive b manufacture, and dependable in use.
Briefly, the laptop workstation in accordance with this invention achieves the intended objects by featuring a cabinet having a drawer that can be drawn therefrom. A swing arm is pivotally fastened at its inner end to the top of the cabinet. A turntable is pivotally fastened to the outer end of the swing arm. A U-shaped prop is fastened to the cabinet for leveling such. A clipboard bracket is fastened to the swing arm remote from the turntable. At least one pair of fingers is affixed to the top of the cabinet that serve as seat belt guides. The fingers have a height that will not impede the pivoting of the swing arm.
The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.